


Huddling

by brokenmimir



Series: Swan Queen Week Summer 2016 [7]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Swan Queen Week Summer 2016
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-14
Updated: 2016-08-14
Packaged: 2018-08-08 15:18:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7762861
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/brokenmimir/pseuds/brokenmimir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Swan Queen Week Summer 2016, Prompt 7: Physical Intimacy<br/>A power outage during a cold Maine winter leaves Emma and Regina trapped in an elevator.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Huddling

“What do you think you are doing?” Regina snapped.

“Um, huddling for warmth?” Emma offered.

“Well, huddle elsewhere,” Regina said.

Emma raised an eyebrow. “That would be kinda difficult, what with the whole lack of anyone else to huddle with, or any other source of warmth.”

“Well, you can’t ‘huddle’ with me,” Regina said. “Besides, it isn’t that cold.”

“Regina, it’s a blizzard in Maine, and I don’t think the insulation in this elevator is up to code,” Emma explained slowly. “With the power out it’s going to get freezing in here, and there’s no way to call for help.”

“That doesn’t mean we have to be this close to each other,” Regina said.

“It’s called sharing body heat,” Emma sighed. “If we don’t Henry is going to be motherless in the morning. Is that what you want, madame mayor?”

Regina stiffened at the mention of Henry, but from the long silence she seemingly couldn’t find a way to answer that. In the end she sighed and slumped slightly, no longer moving away from Emma. “Fine, sheriff. What else should we do?”

“Well, our cell phones aren’t working, but I’m sure Mary Margaret will come looking for me eventually,” Emma said. “I told her I was going to visit you on the way home from work, so she’ll know something’s wrong soon.”

“Great, that’s just what we need,” Regina sighed.

“What do you have against Mary Margaret, anyway?” Emma asked.

Regina didn’t respond, and it was Emma’s turn to sigh. They stayed beside each other for a while, before Emma noticed Regina shivering. She took a deep breath and moved closer to the prickly woman, opening her coat and on the side and wrapping an arm around Regina. The other woman stiffened up, but after a while she relaxed marginally.

“Don’t worry, we’ll get out of here... eventually,” Emma encouraged.

Regina snorted. “Of course we will. And when I do I will be having words with the people responsible for the insulation in this building.”

After a long time Emma tried again. “You should relax a little. Being tense is just going to make waiting worse. I know, why don’t we play a game?”  
  
“I’m sure I don’t know any games that you would be interested in playing in a dark elevator,” Regina said.

Emma chuckled. “I don’t even want to know what you think of me with that. I just meant we could, like, play twenty questions or something. Or, I dunno, maybe we could get to know each other better.”

“Why should we want to do that?”

“Look, I know you hate me, but I- I’m part of Henry’s life now,” Emma said. She continued quickly before Regina could object. “I’m not trying to take him away from you, I just want to be a part of it. You’ve done a good job raising him so far. I couldn’t have wanted a better person to adopt him.”

“You gave up all rights to him when you gave him away,” Regina sniffed.

“I know,” Emma said. “I regret having to, but I don’t regret the way it turned out. You’re a wonderful mom, Regina, and I could never take your place. I just can’t turn my back on him again.”

Regina mulled that over for a while. “Fine, what do you want to know?”

“Hmm, how about we start easy?” Emma said. “What’s your favorite color?”

Slowly the tension abated as they talked, alternating asking each other questions. Regina was far more likely to go for the throat with them, asking probing questions about Emma’s jail time and history of petty crime. Emma decided to take the high ground, and it seemed to work, as slowly Regina began to back off, transforming the exchange from an inquisition to a more friendly get to know you.

Emma was beginning to run out of questions to ask when she thought about the warm, soft presence pressed to her side. “So, why’d you object so much to huddling for warmth?”

Regina stiffened slightly. “I don’t like to be close to people.”

“Hey, I’m not just people.”

“No,” Regina said. “I suppose you aren’t.”

With that Regina relaxed again, leaning even closer into Emma, making her heart pound. She grinned like an idiot, thankful for once that the lights were out, keeping Regina from seeing the dopey expression. They didn’t say much else after that, as only a few minutes later the firemen arrived and pried the elevator open.

Emma considered the day a victory with how reluctant Regina was to pull away. The invitation to dinner with the Mills’ a few nights later was icing on the cake.

 


End file.
